Living Wage

Launched by Citizens UK in 2001, the Living Wage campaign has won over £500 million of additional wages, lifting over 150,000 people out of working poverty.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate, calculated according to cost of living in the UK. The UK Living Wage is currently £8.75 per hour. The London Living Wage is currently £10.20 per hour.

The calculation takes into account a basket of essential goods and services and provides the amount a worker should earn to give their family a basic but acceptable standard of living.

The voluntary, calculated Living Wage is not to be confused with the ‘national living wage’ – or Minimum Wage – announced by the Government, coming into force in April 2016. You may be interested to read our briefing on this here.

The Living Wage Campaign believes that employers who can afford to pay the Living Wage should do so. As many people from working families are now in poverty as from workless ones.

The Living Wage campaign is coordinated by the Living Wage Foundation, an initiative of Citizens UK. The Foundation provides advice and support to employers and coordinates regional and national campaign work.